Brain (eBook)

Front Cover 1
The Brain: An introduction to FunctionalNeuroanatomy 4
Copyright Page 5
Dedication 6
Preface 8
Acknowledgments 9
Introduction 10
Table of contents 11
Chapter 1: Nerve cells andsynapses 15
Membrane potentials and action potentials 15
Neurons and their connections 15
Glia 21
Chapter 2: Central nervous system basics—the brain and spinalcord 25
Why study animal brains? 25
The main parts of the brain 27
External features of the brain 28
The language of brain anatomy 31
The spinal cord 32
Chapter 3: A map of thebrain 39
Mini-atlas of the rat brain 39
Chapter 4: Peripheralnerves 57
Motor and sensory nerves 57
Somatic and visceral motor and sensory elements 58
Spinal nerves 59
Spinal nerves supplying thelimbs 60
Cranial nerves 60
Chapter 5: Command and control—the motorsystems 69
Command and control of skeletal muscles 69
Areas of the motor cortex 70
The role of non-cortical motor centers 72
Survival skills: thehypothalamus 72
Brainstem and spinal cord modules for control of organizedmovement 73
Descending control pathways other than the corticospinaltract 74
The role of the cerebellum in motor control 74
The roles of the striatum and pallidum in motorcontrol 77
The final common pathway for all motor systems–the motor neuron 79
Command and control of the viscera–the autonomic nervous system 81
Command and control of the neuroendocrine system 85
Chapter 6: Gathering information—the sensorysystems 89
Receptors 89
Keeping sensory mapsintact 90
Interpretation and understanding 90
Sensory areas in the cerebral cortex 91
Vision 97
Hearing 100
Vestibular system 102
Taste 106
Smell 106
Sensory processing outside the cortex 108
An example: rolling an ankle 108
Chapter 7: The human cerebralcortex 111
The cerebral cortex–anatomy and histology 111
Guiding principles of cortical structure and function 115
The functional layout of the human cerebral cortex 116
The cerebral cortex and behavior 119
Chapter 8: Higher level functions–consciousness, learning, memory, andemotions 123
Consciousness 123
Memory 124
Sleep 130
Emotions and the amygdala 134
Chapter 9: When things go wrong–brain disease andinjury 139
Infections of the brain and spinal cord 139
Multiple sclerosis 141
Parkinson’s disease 142
Stroke (cerebrovascular accident) 143
Alzheimer’s disease anddementia 143
Epilepsy 145
Brain trauma and brain death 145
Mental illness 146
The tragic history of the treatment of severe mental illness 149
Chapter 10: The development of the brain and spinalcord 155
Genes and brain development 155
Early development of the brain and spinalcord 155
Regional development of the nervous system–segmentation and organizingcenters 158
Formation of synapses 161
Environmental influences on gene expression 163
Critical periods 163
Later processes that refine the structure of the brain 165
Chapter 11: Techniques for studying thebrain 167
Cutting thin sections of the brain 167
Staining brain sections 167
Cell culture 173
Hodology: using tracers to map connections 173
Molecular genetics 174
Non-invasive imaging techniques 175
Functional imaging 176
Electrophysiology 177
Appendix A: Voltages, potentials, and cellmembranes 179
AppendixB 182
AppendixC 185
Supplementaryreading 187
Glossary 193
Bibliography 203
Index 207